Artists protest grant cuts under guru-shishya scheme:Over 70% applications rejected or cooled off; nationwide protest in Delhi on April 7

Theatre artists in Bhopal on Sunday alleged that the Union Ministry of Culture has rejected or “cooled off” more than 70% of applications under the Guru-Shishya Parampara (Repertory Grant) scheme without clear reasons. At a press conference, artists termed the decision “opaque and discriminatory”. They said theatre workers from across the country, including Madhya Pradesh, will reach Delhi on April 7 to meet the Culture Secretary and the Culture Minister, seeking a review of the decision. According to them, applications of 1,164 institutions across the country have been rejected or put on hold. Fewer repertories, hundreds affected Artists said 78 applications in Madhya Pradesh — including fresh and renewal — have been rejected, while 44 have been cooled off. The number of active repertories in the state has dropped from 90 to 39. Around 650 artists have been directly affected, they said, adding that new opportunities have been provided to only 42 artists. They estimated that nearly 2,000 people could face economic impact if families of affected artists are included. Questions over selection process Artists raised concerns about the selection procedure: No independent experts from theatre, dance, or music were included in the committee Physical verification and presentations were removed this year Some organisations were earlier found eligible but later rejected No chance was given to correct errors in documents Minutes reportedly contained incorrect details about organisations’ work areas They said similar applications were treated differently — some approved, some rejected, and others cooled off — without explanation. ‘Worked for two years, now no payment’ Artists said the decision came after the financial year ended, despite groups carrying out training, performances, and other activities for two years as per guidelines. They said they had expected grants to be released and now feel “cheated” after funds were stopped. According to them, an earlier clarification could have helped them plan differently. They warned that stopping grants may disrupt training under the guru-shishya tradition and lead to fewer practitioners in the future. They added that the move could affect the wider cultural ecosystem, even as Indian performing arts continue to receive recognition globally. Organisations and artists affected Among those affected are Ramchandra Singh (Naya Theatre), Anjana Puri (Rang Vidushak), Sanjay Mehta (Rangsheersh), Azam Khan (Flying Fairies), Vaishali Gupta, Rajeev Ayachi, Arun Pandey, Saurabh Anant, Prasanna Soni, Sanjay Pandey, Vibha Srivastava, Sarfaraz Hasan, Roop Kumar Vanmale (Nutan Kala Niketan), Tanaji, Tanvir Ahmad, and Ajaypal. Those cooled off include Balendu Singh, Prem Gupta, Ashish Pathak, Ashish Srivastava, Saroj Sharma, Sharad Sharma, Gopal Dubey, Manoj Nair, and Manoj Mishra.